Heat On Schedule To Pull Away From Pacers For A While

HEAT STROKES

Although the Pacers went into Saturday night winners of 15 of 19 and challenging the Heat for playoff seeding, the Heat will have a chance to distance itself in the next few days.

Beginning with Tuesday night's game in New York, the Pacers will play eight consecutive games against teams on pace to close with 50 victories.

"It's a hell of a two weeks," Indiana forward Antonio Davis said. "We have to step up. This is our test. If we can get through those weeks knowing we played well - win, lose or draw - then we'll feel like we'll give them hell when it comes time to buckle down and get ready for the playoffs."

Staying ahead of the Pacers is important to the Heat, which already trails 0-2 in the four-game season series. Head-to-head record is the first playoff tiebreaker. The teams play again April 1 at Miami Arena and April 23 in Indianapolis, where the Heat never has won.

It appears unlikely that the Eastern Conference playoff seeds will be settled before the final days of the season.

As Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello said recently, "It seems like all the teams that were struggling early realized, `Hey, it isn't going to be easy to make it this year,' and they found some renewed energy, got some people back." Same old Manute

When Manute Bol was released by the Heat on Jan. 25, he left a bitter man, angered over lack of playing time.

In that respect, little changed when the 7-foot-7 veteran was released a week ago from a 10-day contract by the Bullets to make room for the return of forward Kenny Walker.

Upon learning of his release from the Bullets, Bol said, "This is bull. If I knew I was going to come here and not play then I wouldn't have signed a 10-day contract. I would have stayed home."

Bol still is collecting on the $650,000 guaranteed contract he signed with the Heat before the season. His stint in Washington was limited to one minute against Milwaukee and five minutes against the Heat on Feb. 21. He since has signed a 10-day contract with the 76ers.

Projectile night

After hundreds of the soft, miniature basketballs distributed before Monday night's game against the Celtics came fluttering to the court late in that loss, Heat Managing Partner Lewis Schaffel said of future giveaways, "It was a concern, and we have to give it additional thought."

At first, the ballboys tossed the balls back into the stands. Schaffel said the balls that sailed back to the court will be given to charity.

Coiffure update

Yes, that is fresh growth atop the formerly shaven pate of Heat big man Matt Geiger. "I'm going to go with a different hair style," he said. "But I needed it to grow in better before I did something."

-- While he was surprised to learn that the Heat's 37-point victory against the 76ers a week ago Saturday was a franchise record, Heat coach Kevin Loughery will have a hard time forgetting the Heat's NBA-record 68-point loss to the Cavaliers two seasons ago. "That might last forever," he said.